New Moon Thoughts
by Genki1
Summary: Ever wonder what Inuyasha thinks about during the new moon? Miroku seems willing to shed some light on one of the subjects. IxM YAOI (one-shot)


Author's Note: Hey people! I just wanted to say thanks in advance before you read my one-shot! I'm new to (people who keep noticing that I have been fiddling with my one-shot can attest to this) so please go easy on me when you write me reviews, kay? OK Also,a big THANK YOU to my two betas RyuuTenshi and Tokyogogo, you guys rule! (and I know somewhere out there, they're agreeing with me ) This fanfic is yaoi which means it's a guyxguy pairing, so if the thought of two guys hooking up grosses you out, then do yourself a favor and click that gorgeous 'back' button as fast as you can, kay? OK!  
"blah" - speaking  
_blah_ - thinking  
**blah** - emphasized words  
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. 'sigh' But I can dream, ne? heh heh Alrighty then! On to the fic!

_Why doesn't that baka houshi ever shut up?_ The inu hanyou let a sigh escape his lips as he watched the young monk flirt with yet **another** maid. He watched the young woman blush lightly as his lecherous companion told her something flirtatious.

_But more importantly, why doesn't he sense the danger?_ The half demon looked over at another young woman only a few meters away, wary of the incredible battle aura swirling around her. He turned back to his companion who (to his credit) was quite the charmer, and watched as the blush darkened on the woman's cheeks. He felt the aura grow, becoming more ominous with each passing second. _Baka…I know what's coming next, but please, for the love of all things holy, don't-_

The monk kneeled down on the ground on one knee, and took the woman's slender hand in his own two. The hanyou felt his stomach knot itself, and his heart take a blow from an invisible weapon. _Again…He's doing it again…_ He realized his mood was taking a turn onto that well-worn path in his mind. The one that spiraled down into the endless abyss that posed a constant threat, full of pain and sadness…

_Façade time_. _It's getting easier_, he noted as he put on the mask, feeling it slip onto his features. The mask, displaying annoyance, was in place. No one knew the difference, he was sure of it. _Keh, it's not like anyone of them know me well enough to tell the difference anyway_, he thought bitterly, stealing glances at each of his other companions in turn.

He looked at the younger miko from the future, Kagome, next to him who was (as usual) oblivious to his thoughts. Then to the young kitsune, Shippo, playing with the demon cat, Kirara. Finally he turned his gaze upon the demon slayer, Sango, who was looking as though she was holding herself back from murder. Of course, she probably was, judging by the fierce, fiery glare she had locked on the monk.

_None of them know me, not even you_, he thought as he looked at the raven-haired miko next to him. _And you pride yourself on 'knowing' me…_

He turned his attention back on the monk as he noted that the woman was making a retreat. He knew what was coming. Heck, **everyone** in the group knew what was coming. _5, 4, 3- _

CRACK!

_-2. Wow_, _I'm a little off on my timing today. I'm slipping_.

"HENTAI!" The young woman shouted at him, annoyance showing on her face.

"Itai, Sango!" The monk cried, grabbing at his head. "That really hurt!"

"Hmph."

"Come on Sango, you know you're the only woman for me!" The young monk tried, grabbing one of her hands within his own, as he had done with the other woman only moments before. The slayer was blushing, although it was obvious that she was trying to keep it at bay.

"Houshi-sama-" She started to say something when her face once again contorted into annoyance. "Houshi-sama," she said again.

"Yes, Sango?"

"Get your hands off my backside, lech!" She cried, pulling a fist back before forcing it forward, making it connect with Miroku's left cheek.

There was a collective sigh from the group, bored of seeing the same scene play itself out. Kagome walked forward, calling for Shippo to follow her. "Come on, Shippo! Let's you, me, and Sango go find a hot spring to bathe, ok?"

"Ok!" The young fox bounded over to them and leapt onto Sango's shoulder, with Kirara following close behind. As Kagome grabbed hold of Sango's upper right arm, she turned around to look over her shoulder at the inu hanyou behind her. "Inuyasha, take care of Miroku, will you?"

_Ah, yet another order disguised as a choice. Doesn't she ever tire of ordering me around?_

"Keh. Fine. I'll look after the hentai for you," Inuyasha snorted, turning his head to the side to look at said monk who was currently sprawled out on the dirt.

"Great!" she chirped. "We'll be back soon!"

Inuyasha looked down at the body on the ground. "Get up, monk!" he barked, nudging Miroku with his foot. When the body on the ground didn't stir, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Fine, play dead, then. I'll just carry you back to Kaede's myself."

Miroku was off the floor like magic. "Let's go back to Kaede's hut, Inuyasha," he suggested, as though it had been his idea. Inuyasha simply 'keh'd' and followed. "Alright, but if you go out of the hut towards the springs, I won't hesitate to kill you, pervert."

"Duly noted," Miroku acknowledged with a sigh.

Shortly after Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara returned, the girls made dinner. The group sat around the small fire in the center to eat with the older miko, Kaede. They were all talking about anything and everything when Miroku's flirting session with the village girl was brought up.

"Miroku, I don't understand why you always go after women like that," Kaede told him. "Why do you?"

Miroku simply grinned. "What respectable man wouldn't?"

Inuyasha tensed a little, before answering, "What's so respectable about chasing anything that walks on two legs and has a large chest?"

Shippo laughed, Kaede shook her head at the young inu hanyou's lack of tact and Sango blushed.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried with a shocked expression on her face as well. "SIT!"

He felt the fierce jerk of the necklace around his neck as it slammed his face into the ground. He let out a string of expletives. No one in the group knew how much this hurt. He prided himself on being the strongest in the group, and he didn't want his companions to find out that a simple 'sit' could put him in more pain than they believed.

He felt the magic subside and sat up, glaring daggers at Kagome who was glaring back. Everyone else besides Kaede and Shippo just looked embarrassed. "Inuyasha! Don't say that!" She reprimanded.

"Why not?" he challenged. "It's true!"

"SIT!"

He soon found himself on the floor again, muttering a longer string of curses. But this time, as he waited for the magic to wear off, he felt his strength draining as well. _What the hell!_

That's when he felt it. He tried to calm himself as he felt the pain of his transformation. He **hated** his transformation. His fingers hurt as his deadly claws retracted to leave blunt, human fingernails. He felt his fuzzy dog ears disappear into his head as human ears sprouted on the sides. He felt pain in his eyes, knowing that while he couldn't see as his face had been smashed into the hut floor, his sense of sight was dulling along with his senses of hearing and smell. When he sat up, locks of ebony hair told him the transformation was complete.

He turned back to Kagome, to see her gaping at him. "Inuyasha, you're…? I mean, it's-?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Yes, it's the new moon and I'm human tonight. Why are you so shocked?"

She immediately stopped staring and started apologizing profusely. "I'm really, **really** sorry Inuyasha! I thought I remembered what dates the new moon was on! I wasn't expecting to 's-word' you while you were in your human form-"

Inuyasha snapped. "Oh, so there's a difference between 'sitting' me in my human form from my hanyou form?"

Kagome looked shocked. "Well, I mean, it would hurt more, wouldn't it? I don't want to hurt you-"

Inuyasha laughed ruefully. "Oh, that's just rich. You don't want to hurt me? What, did you think when you 'sat' me into the ground more times than I could count that you were doing me fucking favors!" He sneered, "Or do you just like that feeling of power you must get when you can slam me into the ground effortlessly with one little word!"

Kagome looked absolutely horrified and hurt at his outburst. "No! No, that's not it at all! How could you accuse me of-!"

"Easily!" He snarled. He watched as she stared at him with wide eyes brimming with tears that threatened to fall. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as all the emotions he had held back while in his hanyou form came flooding into his mind. His human side couldn't take it, and he felt his eyes get hot.

_What the hell is wrong with me!_

He stood quickly, making sure that he kept his head bowed in order to hide his eyes behind his bangs. "I'm going out for a walk," he managed, pushing back the screen and walking out the door. No one followed him. No one called after him. Just like he wanted.

…But, if it was truly what he wanted…why did it hurt to be alone?

_So alone…again._

Inuyasha found himself sitting on a rock above the opening of a cave. He leaned back, both arms supporting him, and sat with one leg tucked underneath the other that dangled before the cave's opening, staring at the stars. It seemed as though the stars were the only real companions he'd ever had, besides the moon.

_Well, the only ones that've ever **stayed**._

He remembered how he'd stay up at night as a child, afraid of going to sleep for the possibility of never waking up, and he'd watch the stars. Often times, he would even talk to them. He knew he was nuts to be talking to the stars, and if anyone had ever walked in on him talking to them he knew they'd think he was nuts too.

He definitely wouldn't blame them, anyway. He probably was. But there was something he found comforting about the stars. He knew that it was good to talk to others about your feelings, but when you talked to the stars at least you knew they would never talk back or tell others your secrets.

…Or judge you.

Overall, that was probably the main reason he talked to the stars. He could tell them whatever he wanted to without the fear of judgment. There were things in his past, things done to him or that he'd done, that he knew others would not approve of. He didn't want to see sympathy nor disapproval shining in the other's eyes.

He'd had enough of both of those looks to last him a lifetime.

Still staring at the stars, twinkling in the distance, he decided to confide in them once again. He sighed for what must have been the twentieth time that day, before beginning.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" He asked, as a small, wistful smile spread on his lips. "I guess it's because I'm finally alone. Well, that and my feelings are more fucked up right now than Naraku."

Naraku.

He scowled. Just the name itself caused hatred to fill his entire being. He remembered all the instances where he'd fought with the other hanyou and all the things Naraku had done to ensure that Inuyasha and the gang would live in constant torment.

As he looked up to the sky, a look of determination took the place of the scowl on his face. "I swear," he vowed. "On all his victim's graves, that I will kill him and avenge them. I will avenge all of them. Especially Kikyo."

The determination slid off his features to be replaced with sadness and he bowed his head. "Especially her," he whispered. He still remembered her vividly, as though he had seen her only yesterday. Her features, her personality, her dreams…

"You know, for the record," he started, looking back up at the stars. "I did love her as a lover, I thought of her as one too. I was even going to change my blood for her, become full human," he elaborated. "But then that bastard Naraku killed her. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he did it in **my** form! So she died, thinking that I betrayed her. That I didn't love her…" He bit his lower lip, and looked off to the side. Pain now flooded within him at the thought.

_What must she have thought when she died? After being attacked by 'me' and then sealing me to the tree with her own hands?_

"And now she's trying to kill me." His lips curved into a rueful smirk, "and I can't kill her because I still care for her. Not in the way everyone thinks I do, though." He looked back to the stars. "Now, it's more like I see her as a little sister. Like how Sango sees Kohaku. That's why I can identify so much with her when it comes to her brother. I **know** I have to kill her, to set the rest of her soul free, but I still see her as **her**. Not some sham body with a bit of her soul, but **her**."

He let out a big breath after his rant. It really did feel better now that he got that off of his chest.

"Speaking of Sango, I really do admire her sometimes. She lost her family and village, and has to put up with her brother, but she still finds the strength to keep moving. She's a very brave person," he said with a small smile.

"And Shippo is too. I mean, he doesn't exactly look brave, especially when he hides behind someone when he's scared," he chuckled. "But to lose his family at such a young age, and to have to put up with all this 'Naraku and collecting shards' shit, he's pretty strong.

"Kagome has gotten stronger since I first met her," he commented next, before getting lost in his memories of meeting the raven-haired girl. When she freed him, gave him the necklace, broke the jewel, and all the other journeys they'd had afterwards, in both worlds.

"Her world really is a lot different from this one. It's so strange and I always get so lost there. She always insists that it's safer and that I should go over more often, but I still think it's about as safe there as it is here. Plus, by the way she's always trying to get me to hide my ears I have the feeling that I wouldn't be accepted there either.

"I can tell that she **does** want me there though. She probably wants me to stay there and live with her after we finish collecting the jewel shards. I can tell that she wants me also," he shivered slightly at the memory of when he smelled her arousal as she had watched him help build a hut after he had taken off his shirt.

"But, I couldn't stay there. Her world is too foreign to me, and she doesn't belong in this world as much as I don't belong in hers. Plus, I don't think of her that way. I used to, when we first started traveling together, but then as time went by I became less attracted to her and more attracted to-"

Inuyasha was suddenly startled out of his monologue by a bird as it crashed out of the trees to his right, and flew upwards towards the inky sky. He watched it fly off before looking back up at the sky, at the stars.

Just as suddenly, he was struck with another memory he had of his mother. The memories of his mother were few, but they were very dear to him. He remembered her story about shooting stars, and searched the sky for a specific star. They landed on one that seemed to sparkle as his eyes swept over it. _Perfect_.

Inuyasha bent his head. _Please_, he pleaded, his eyes shut tight. _I want something in my life that's worth living for. Something that will still be mine after the battle with Naraku. Something that I'll be able to cherish for a long time, and will be mine and only mine._

He finished, and opened his eyes to gaze at the star. It twinkled gaily at him, and he smiled slightly.

"Have I ever told you about the story my mother used to tell me about shooting stars?"

"No, actually. You've told us very little of your childhood, you know."

Inuyasha froze, and then turned slowly to see Miroku looking up at him, standing outside the cave entrance.

_What the hell is he doing here! Why didn't I sense him! Oh shit, he's going to think I'm crazy!_

Miroku just chuckled up at him good-naturedly.

_He really is attractive when he smiles._ "What are **you** doing here, monk!" Inuyasha spat, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

"Don't be so shocked, Inuyasha. After tearing out of the hut like that, do you honestly believe that Sango and** especially** Kagome-sama wouldn't send me out here to check up on you?"

Inuyasha didn't like how Miroku had accentuated that 'especially'. "Yes, I did."

As Miroku continued to look up at him, Inuyasha started to squirm underneath his gaze and felt his cheeks warm. _Thank Kami for the darkness. _

"So, what was it about your mother that you were going to tell me, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked innocently after a while of staring.

"None of your damn business, monk! I wasn't talking to you!" _Oh, shit. Nice going, Inuyasha. If he didn't realize you were insane before, he definitely does now._

"You weren't talking to me?" Miroku asked, obviously confused. "Then who **were** you talking to?"

"Nothing."

This short, quick reply only seemed to make Miroku amused.

"Who was it, Inuyasha?"

"Just drop it, ok, Miroku?" Inuyasha asked, looking away, clearly upset. Miroku must have realized it, because he quickly changed topics.

"Are you going to come back to the hut now? Everyone's worried about you. You've been gone for quite a while."

Inuyasha vaguely wondered just how long he had been outside. "No. I'm not coming back until morning, so you can just go and tell them that."

"Inuyasha," Miroku sighed. "You know better than to stay away from the rest of the group during your transformation night."

"I'll be fine," Inuyasha growled. "I'm not going to be getting any sleep tonight anyway. Never do." He muttered the last part, but Miroku still picked up on it.

"Inuyasha, I realize that you're not comfortable to sleep during your human nights, but sleep really would be good for your human body."

"Look Miroku, I'm going to stay out here whether you like it or not, so just deal with it." Inuyasha said with finality. He heard a merry jangle come from the monk's staff and saw Miroku sitting down in front of the cave. "What do you think you're doing?"

Miroku looked up at him. "Staying with you, of course. You need some company, and I'm willing to offer you mine."

"Keh, thanks for being so gracious, monk," Inuyasha said, the comment dripping with sarcasm. Underneath his façade, though, he **was** thankful that Miroku decided to keep him company. His heart warmed at the thought of Miroku actually **wanting** to stay with him.

"You're welcome, Inuyasha." Miroku said, and smiled up at him once more.

They sat in silence for a long while. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't exactly awkward for them. It was quite cozy, and neither of them felt the need to break it with useless chatter. Not like Inuyasha would 'chatter' anyway.

A cold wind blew past them from the east, and seemed to pick up speed gradually. Inuyasha felt himself start to shiver. _Stupid human body. Can't even take a little breeze in stride._ He looked down to see how Miroku was faring.

He watched as the monk seemed to huddle up a little, using his own body heat to lessen the chill. It made Inuyasha uncomfortable to see Miroku cold, and he climbed down from his place on the rock towards his companion. Miroku looked genuinely surprised to see Inuyasha come up next to him, and even more surprised to see him sit down so close to him that their arms were touching.

Inuyasha chanced a glance at Miroku, hoping he wouldn't realize that he had deliberately sat on the side where the wind had been blowing against him, and was subtly sharing a small amount of his body heat. After a while, when he saw Miroku's eyes warm with realization and his lips curve into a small smile, Inuyasha realized he had to say something to cover up his actions.

"You wanted to know the story my mother told me?" Inuyasha asked, looking back up at the sky.

"…Yes, if you don't mind telling me."

Inuyasha snorted before saying, "Baka, I wouldn't have offered to tell you if I didn't want to."

He didn't need to look at the monk to know he was still smiling. He could hear it in the reply, "Very well then, Inuyasha. Please begin."

"When I was a pup, I loved to stargaze with my mother. She knew a lot of constellations and told me stories about them. She was also a very imaginative woman, and would often make up stories of her own to tell me." Inuyasha felt the light smile on his face grow. "One such story was about shooting stars. She would tell me that every person had a wish, and if they chose the right star, their wish would come true."

"The right star?"

"Yes, she said there was a star up there for everyone. If you found your star, and wished upon it, then it would grant your wish. And since there were so many, it was a small test of how much you wanted your wish to come true."

"A test?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah. See, if you wanted something badly enough, and kept wishing for it on different stars, it would show how much you really wanted the wish," Inuyasha replied. "She also loved to tell me stories of people that would wish for their true love night after night, until their wish was finally granted to them. Those were her favorites."

"Where do the shooting stars come into this?"

"Well, like with everything else in life, there's a catch. If you choose the right star, it falls after the wish comes true to the wisher. You can't wish again after the star shoots back to you."

"I see," Miroku said, scanning the heavens. "You only get one wish then."

"Yes, just one. So you should choose your wish wisely."

After some time, Miroku broke the silence. "So you just pick a star?" Miroku asked.

"Yep," Inuyasha answered. "You pick a star you think is yours, and make a wish."

He watched as Miroku locked his gaze on a star and, he assumed, make a wish. "How long does it take to work?" He questioned after some time, glancing at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha shrugged. "It depends. Sometimes it happens quickly, and sometimes it will take time."

"I see," Miroku said again, looking back up at the sky.

They lapsed back into silence once more, both gazing up at the great expanse of sky.

"Inuyasha, there's something I need to tell you." Miroku said, after a little while. Inuyasha tore his gaze away from the sky to focus on the monk.

"Yeah?"

Miroku squirmed a little, looking uncomfortable. Inuyasha just continued to look at him, and tried not to let his impatience show. Contrary to popular belief, he could be patient, though it was only at times when he thought it necessary. Although right now, he was sure that if he had his claws he would be digging them into the ground beneath him.

"You know how Kaede was asking about why I constantly chase after women?" Miroku began, making eye contact with Inuyasha.

"Yeah."

"Well, there's a reason why I always go after them. But it's not the reason you're thinking of!" He said quickly, seeing Inuyasha open his mouth to interrupt. Inuyasha closed his mouth and looked at Miroku questioningly. Miroku continued to stare at him for a while, before continuing. "The reason why I chase after women isn't so I can produce an heir, although having a little one would be nice." He said with a wistful smile. "It also isn't because I'm a 'pervert'."

Inuyasha snorted. "You said that as though you believe you're not one."

"I'm not. It's all a façade. Like the one you have, Inuyasha." Miroku replied, looking seriously at the shocked boy beside him.

"What? What do you mean 'like me'? I don't-"

"You do, Inuyasha. I've **seen** you." Miroku said, still looking into Inuyasha's eyes. "I know that mask of arrogance and annoyance that you put on. I've seen it many times since I've joined your group."

At this, Inuyasha stopped looking shocked. Instead his features relaxed until they looked tired. "How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you known about it?" Inuyasha elaborated, looking back into Miroku's eyes.

"After the incident at Mushin's, where you rescued me," Miroku answered.

The surprise showed on Inuyasha's face. "How come you never said anything to me about it?"

Miroku gave him a rueful smile. "It would be a bit hypocritical of me to talk to you about your façade when I have one of my own, don't you think?"

"I guess…But what's yours, then?" Inuyasha asked, genuinely curious now.

"You haven't figured it out? It's my lecherousness. I'm not really such a pervert. In fact, I don't even like women. I just did what I thought a 'normal' man would do."

Inuyasha just gaped at him. "You mean…you're not…?"

Miroku grinned at him, though it looked a little troubled. "How many women would want a relationship with a man who can't keep his mind out of the bedroom for more than a few moments?"

Inuyasha was having a hard time taking all this in. His companion, who he thought was nuts about the female body, in fact had no desire for it whatsoever? Miroku had been hitting on every single woman they'd ever come across, when it was the worst course of action he could possibly have taken, just to keep up a façade? _Why?_

"Why would you do that?" Inuyasha questioned, voicing his thoughts. "Why would you make yourself out to be like that? It's degrading to you! You're a much better person than that, so why would you sully your name like that!" He watched Miroku's eyes widen in surprise, and scoot away from him slightly. He didn't care. He was mad, damn it! And he wanted answers!

"Well?" Inuyasha growled.

Miroku stared at him in shock for a few moments before narrowing his eyes into a glare. "Look Inuyasha, I just didn't want anyone to know that I preferred men, alright? It's not exactly something that people accept with open arms."

"Why should you care what others think?"

"I can't help it, Inuyasha! Not all people have gone through what you've gone through! I have never been able to ignore the opinions of other people, so I can't help but care about what they think!"

"Well you should learn to stop caring about what they think about you right now! Just forget about them! They don't know you like I d-like me and the others do!" Inuyasha turned away after the slip, feeling his cheeks burn again.

Miroku sat in silence beside him, and Inuyasha didn't turn to see what his reaction was. He knew the monk caught the slip. The guy was more adept at listening to and reading people than anyone else he knew.

_Now's as good a time as ever, I guess,_ Inuyasha thought. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for what he was about to reveal. "Miroku?"

"Yes Inuyasha?"

"…" _Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought._ Inuyasha shifted in his seat a little, running through what he wanted to say in his mind. He shivered unconsciously, and rubbed at his arm that was taking the blows from the gusts of wind. _Why does it have to be so-?_

He barely finished the thought as he was suddenly pulled backwards into a warm chest, his eyes wide.

_-cold!_

Inuyasha felt Miroku wrap his arms around him tightly, and he tensed slightly. He relaxed though as he felt the monk's lips right next to his ear, breath ghosting over it, and felt a shiver travel down his spine.

"It's getting colder. I thought we could share body heat." Miroku explained. "Is that all right with you?"

_Believe me, it's more than alright…_"Yeah, its fine," Inuyasha answered, scooting backwards into the comforting warmth.

"Good," Miroku said, barely above a whisper. "Now, what were you going to say?"

Inuyasha tensed back up as he realized the position he was in. _What if I tell him and he is disgusted with the idea?_ _What if he doesn't-?_

"Inuyasha?"

"I…Miroku, I think I have…feelings for you." He felt the body behind him tense a little as well. _Oh shit, does **that** not bode well..._

"…What kind of feelings?"

Inuyasha was shocked. _He's not pushing me away?_ However, it quickly turned into embarrassment, and he looked off to the side once more.

"I…I'm not really sure. I mean, I know that was I feel for you is pretty deep. I care about you a lot, and I worry about you too. I know that I like you a lot, but I don't know if it's…"

"…You don't know if it's the same as love?" As he said this, Inuyasha felt Miroku's arms tighten around him.

Inuyasha bit his lower lip worriedly. "Yeah…" After gathering up his courage, he turned around in Miroku's arms to look him in the eyes. "I would like to find out, though," he said sincerely, smiling a little himself as he saw a grin begin to make its way onto Miroku's features. "If you'd like to find out with me?"

The next thing he knew, he was up against a wall of the cave, a grinning Miroku in front of him, eyes gleaming.

"I've already figured out my feelings," he said a bit huskily leaning over Inuyasha, bracing himself on both arms that were on either side of Inuyasha's legs. "I know I love you."

Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise and he felt his jaw slacken a little. _He loves me?_

Suddenly Miroku closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to those of the boy beneath him. Inuyasha felt a jolt run through him at the contact and he closed his eyes. He reached out and cupped the back of Miroku's head to bring him closer.

The kiss was short and sweet and when they broke for air smiling at each other, panting slightly, Inuyasha studied Miroku's face. His lips were curved into a small smile, and his eyes were gleaming with the countless emotions that shined from within. There was joy, contentment, and relief, but the emotion that shined forth the most was love.

Then Miroku leaned forward and rested his head on Inuyasha's left shoulder. He nuzzled into the crook of his neck, breathed in a deep sigh. "You're comfy."

Inuyasha wrapped an arm around his waist to bring him closer, "are you tired?"

"A little," Miroku admitted, snuggling deeper into Inuyasha's warmth.

"We should go back to the hut, then," Inuyasha suggested. "It will be warmer there."

"We **could** always stay here and keep each other warm," Miroku said, pulling away from Inuyasha slightly so he could see eye to eye with the blushing boy.

"Miroku, we're in a cave…"

"Yes, I can see that, Inuyasha." Miroku said with a smug smirk.

"There's a storm blowing in from the east…"

"Do you have a point, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked impatiently.

"…You really will do it anywhere, won't you?"

Miroku looked at Inuyasha in shock for a moment or two before attempting to sputter an answer. "I-Inuyasha! I-I didn't-!"

"I mean, this isn't exactly screaming 'romance'," Inuyasha said, gesturing around him at the cold stone walls as a particularly large gust of wind sounded from the entrance.

"Inuyasha! Really! I wasn't suggesting that we would do anything! I just meant that we could snuggle or something! And - not that kind of snuggle!" he cried, seeing the skeptical look Inuyasha was sending his way. "I meant that we could just - well you know! Be a little more intimate - though not that kind of intimate! I mean, I meant-" Miroku's rambling was cut off by an echoing laughter that rang throughout the cave.

He stared at the boy leaning against the wall of the cave next to him, shaking with laughter. He watched him for a moment, before his eyes narrowed into a glare. "You really had me going there, didn't you?"

"Yeah! It…w-was…it was…priceless!" Inuyasha got out between laughter.

Miroku continued to glare at him for a while. That is, until his eyes glittered with mischief and his lips curved into a smirk.

Inuyasha didn't hear the monk approach, but he was suddenly aware of a presence hovering over him once more.

"It's not nice to tease me like that, koibito," the husky admonishment came from above. Inuyasha looked up. Lavender clashed with cobalt and his breath slightly hitched in his throat. "I think…that a punishment is in order."

Inuyasha noticed the smirk and countered with one of his own. "And what would that be?"

Neither boy noticed, as they focused on the sensual caresses and butterfly kisses, two stars rocketing through the heavens towards each other. They ended their journeys over the cave, twinkling merrily above it for a moment, before disappearing together into the darkness.

OWARI

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